Can't imagine why ....

[Pixelated]

A few months ago, somebody at my store had the bright (?) idea of starting a 50/50 employee lottery. You would buy tickets and the winner would get half of the money (and no, come to think of it, I don't know where the other half goes). There was one or two winners and then ... interest basically died a quick death. They've postponed the "next" draw twice due to there being no money in the pot.

Maybe it would help if ... the company gave us back our pandemic pay? The company gave us paid sick days even though the provincial government says they don't have to? The company offered to match the money in the pot, either dollar-for-dollar or even fifty cents-per-dollar? (Although I suspect this isn't a corporate "thing".)

On the one hand, I feel badly for whoever came up with this, thinking it would take off like wildfire. On the other hand, all it offers is a chance for one person to get a little bit ahead, at the expense of everybody else who bought tickets, as opposed to, you know, the company offering everybody something extra.

[Deserted]

It might actually be illegal. Lotteries are strictly regulated in many/most places.

[Buzzard]

50/50 lotteries are self-feeding. You don't really need much starter cash, as the pot is 1/2 ticket sales. All that's needed are tickets and someone doing sales. If they're so busy spending their half of the pot that they can't handle some tickets... uh... "How are they still in business?"

[Pixelated]

It might actually be illegal. Lotteries are strictly regulated in many/most places.

True, but I've seen this type of thing in other places of employment. Unless there's some reason to believe it's rigged or something, it's likely not worth the effort/time of the authorities to get involved.

50/50 lotteries are self-feeding. You don't really need much starter cash, as the pot is 1/2 ticket sales. All that's needed are tickets and someone doing sales. If they're so busy spending their half of the pot that they can't handle some tickets... uh... "How are they still in business?"

It's not a 'business' as such. And the fall-off is almost entirely due to the lack of participation by employees rather than anything done (or not done) by the organizers ... nobody's buying tickets. I think at least some of that is due to the fact that few people carry cash anymore.

[Trixie]

I've seen a 50/50 as a fundraiser. At least you know where the other half of the money is going. Never heard of it in a workplace. I know where I'd work there would be no interest. We don't really have that many people to begin with.

[RealUnimportant]

(and no, come to think of it, I don't know where the other half goes)

That's one good reason not to get involved.